Contrary to what you might believe, reading a water meter can be pretty simple. Reading a water meter is equivalent to reading your car’s odometer. It is crucial to read numbers from left to right. Your water meter’s current reading represents the total amount of water that has passed through it since its installation. Subtracting the prior reading from the present reading yields your use for each billing cycle.
Regularly monitoring your water meter has a lot of advantages. You can precisely track your water usage by comprehending how your meter functions. It may enable you to estimate your water usage and invoicing, and locate leaks. For instance, if you see a sudden increase in your water usage, there is a possibility of leakage. A simple way to contribute to water conservation and cost savings is to check your meter regularly. Here you will learn how to read your water meter.
What Exactly Is A Water Meter?
A water meter is a tool that gauges how much water is passing through a pipe. Water meters are typically installed on the customer’s property, whether mechanical or digital. Sometimes, you can read water meters remotely.
Water meters also track the water used for irrigation, wastewater treatment, and public water delivery in parks. Water meters are a necessary instrument for measuring water consumption. They can assist billing teams in calculating monthly water usage for consumers and their associated bills. Moreover, water meters can occasionally track leaks or point to issues with a building’s plumbing system.
Why Is It Crucial To Read Water Meter?

No matter where you reside, water meters are an absolute necessity. A meter makes it easier to monitor how much water you use, how much you pay for it, and whether that water reaches you. It also promotes water conservation by showing you how much you use.
Here are a few reasons why it’s crucial to have regular meter readings:
Accurate Billing
The initial and most obvious consideration is accurate billing. It is crucial to read water meters as the monthly bills include the water meter readings and to ensure that your charges are correct according to the figures read.
Depending on how you are billed, you can avoid receiving a catch-up bill if you can send periodical reads, which may indicate if you have consumed more or less water than expected.
Ensures Water Conservation
People automatically start utilizing water more cautiously once they realize they must pay to use it. They are more conscious of their everyday water usage and respond quickly to leaks.
Detecting Leaks
Although we all hope it never happens, leakage can occur in pipes that are invisible from view. If left unchecked, this may result in property damage, dampness, and high water bills. Regular meter readings, however, can aid in spotting when something goes wrong. It may indicate that your pipes leak if your meter indicates greater use, even though you don’t think your usage has changed. A quick leak test can help you determine whether your pipes leak and will enable you to address the issue as soon as feasible.
How Can I Find My Water Meter?
The installation of the majority of water meters occurs outside near your exterior stop tap. It will be in your driveway, lawn, or close-by footpath, concealed underneath a small plastic or metal cover. These may occasionally be a little down the road.
If you have an interior meter, it could be under the kitchen sink, near the inside stop tap. You may also find water meters in your garage or basement, usually on the side closest to the road.
What Do The Figures Mean On A Water Meter?
A water meter’s black numerals show how much water you have used over a specific period. To determine or calculate your household’s water use, you must look at these critical numbers. Although gallons are the most prevalent unit of measurement, certain meters may also utilize cubic feet or kiloliters.
What Steps Should You Follow to Read A 9 Digit Water Meter?
Water meters are the primary method we use to track how much water consumers use. Every other month, water meter readers read client meters to calculate water usage and generate bills. Customers can use this to monitor their use and look for water leaks.
Locate Your Meter Box.

You must first find your water meter before you can read it. While some meters are in a side yard or backyard, most are in your front lawn, close to the curb or sidewalk. There will be a metal or plastic lid on the meter “box” that says “Water” or “Water Meter.”
If you have an interior meter, it can be under the kitchen sink, near the inside stop tap. You may also find water meters in your garage or basement, usually on the side closest to the road.
Remove the meter box’s cover.
If your meter is outside, carefully pry up the cover by inserting a screwdriver or similar instrument into one of the cover’s tiny holes. Wear gloves as an extra defense against scorching covers or against boxes that have evolved into wildlife havens. Place the cover aside nearby. Raise the lid of your meter box if it has a hinged cover.
- Use caution! Water meter boxes are famous for being the nesting place for snakes, rodents, insects, and other harmful creatures.
- While you have the cover off, clean the underneath it of any dust, dirt, or cobwebs.
Identify Your Type Of Water Meter

Some customers may still have older analog meter models at home even though most places are upgrading outdated meter hardware.
There are two types of water meters:
Digital Meter
You might need to spotlight the digital meters because it requires light. You will see the flow rate and the meter read displayed on the meter. The flow rate determines the volume of water flowing through the water meter per minute, whereas the meter read is the volume of water (or cubic feet) used. Most houses now use a digital water meter.
Analog Meter
An analog meter’s large, red sweep hand measures the water in gallons or cubic feet. Your analog water meters indicate that 1 gallon or one cubic foot of water has flowed through it when the huge sweep hand changes from one number to the next (for example, from 0 to 1).
Read Your Water Meter
A reading from each meter will trace the total cubic feet of water utilized since the installation of the meter. For your reference, the amount of water in a cubic foot is 7.48 gallons.
Figuring Out Your Water Use
You can figure out the amount of water you use by following the instructions below.
- Thoroughly read and record the number on the odometer. Then jot down the day you finished reading it. Read the odometer once more after a certain number of days, preferably seven. Record the reading together with the date.
- Take the second reading and subtract the first reading. It represents your daily water consumption in cubic feet.
- Then, multiply 7.48 by the water usage. It represents your daily water consumption in gallons.
- Calculate the water use in gallons by dividing the interval between readings by the number of days. It represents the daily average for the period in gallons.
Check For Household Leaks
Most meters contain a little low-flow indicator in the form of a spinning star that shows how much water is passing through the meter. The indication shouldn’t move after shutting off all interior and outdoor water sources, including the faucets, washer, irrigation, etc.
You might have a leakage if it keeps moving, which indicates that water is leaking elsewhere on the land. Shut off the water supply to see whether the leak is within or outside.
If the indication still moves after closing the water shut-off valve, water is leaking from the house. If the indicator stops moving after the water shut-off valve closes, water leaks into the home (a leaky pipe, running toilet, etc.). Contact a plumber if it becomes challenging to detect the leakage. Moreover, you will likely need a professional to fix the faulty pipes.
Bonus Tips
- After obtaining a reading, reinstall the water meter lid and protective dial cap firmly.
- It’s normal for your water bill to vary a bit from month to month, so there’s no need to be alarmed if your readings are slightly irregular.
- Regularly checking for leaks is a brilliant idea. You’ll be able to spot it early if you do have one.
- Water meters can be challenging to read. Call your water company and get an official explanation from a representative if you’re still unclear about how to calculate your usage.
- Ask your water supplier if you have any questions regarding fees, such as those for wastewater treatment.
The Bottom Line
Water meters can help you notice leaks. If reading the meter is a chore and you would like to detect leaks as well as stop a major leak from causing sever damage to your home, consider our leak prevention products. These are compatible with other water system options, such as water filtration systems and water softeners. If you want to learn more, you can always chat with one of our representatives.
Sources:
- https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Read-a-Water-Meter/
- https://waterga.com/how-to-read-a-water-meter/
- https://www.smarthomewaterguide.org/how-to-read-your-water-meter
- https://www.ccwater.com/459/How-to-Read-Your-Water-Meter
- https://www.wikihow.com/Read-a-Water-Meter#
- https://www.ahs.com/home-matters/quick-tips/how-to-read-water-meter/
- https://home-water-works.org/indoor-use/meter-reading
- https://cityofpetaluma.org/watermeter/